


Take me back to the night we met

by winter_angst



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: First Dates, First Meetings, Happy Ending, M/M, low calorie angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:00:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26359855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winter_angst/pseuds/winter_angst
Summary: They just keep running into each other.
Relationships: Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov, Jack Rollins/Brock Rumlow, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	Take me back to the night we met

**Author's Note:**

> title from The Night We Met by Lord Huron

Brock and Jack’s meeting wasn’t exactly great so when Brock stepped into H&R Block to meet his accountant he was struck dumb. 

Jack looked different sober. He was wearing a suit and guys who wear suits didn’t lick up the salt between his abs and take tequila body shots. No, no this couldn’t have been the same person. But the way he was staring at him suggested yeah, this was the guy who drunkenly slurred ‘I’m Jack’ as he helped get Brock’s shirt off before he got on the bar. 

‘I’m Jack’ was equally stunned, a folder in hand, green eyes wide and just a little afraid. 

“M-Mr. Rumlow?”

Brock jerked out of his stupor holding out his hand on instinct. ‘I’m Jack’ stared at it a moment before slowly reaching out. It was uncomfortable to touch skin despite their past. 

Daytime made things ugly, Brock decided. 

“My name is Jack. Please follow me to my office.”

They walked through a maze of cubicles toward the back where he could see office doors. Brock’s mind was still reeling, trying to think of what he could say or do to shatter the awkwardness between them. It almost made Brock regret his partying. Almost. Jack opened the office door and stepped aside to usher him in. With the door shut behind them and shades drawn Brock felt just a little bit less exposed. 

“S-so you’re here about your gym, correct? This is your first time filing with us?”

Brock gave a jerky nod and, to his embarrassment, his face flushed. And it was a domino effect because Jack’s face turned red as well and averted his eyes. Despite the embarrassment Brock could still admire the man before him. Just as tall as he remembered, but this time his black hair was slicked back instead of falling in front of his eyes. The jawline that could cut diamonds looked just as good in the LED lighting as it did under the smoky lighting of the bar. 

“Yeah.”

Jack gestured towards the chair in front of the desk and he sat down, the pinnacle of professional. Brock couldn’t help but think about him in that skin tight black tee and worn Wrangler jeans. He remembered thinking he looked like a cowboy, or maybe southern, but he didn’t have an accent if he was. And did cowboys still even exist? They didn’t in LA for damn sure. Their conversation was short and uncomfortable, focused solely on getting through it. And when everything was finally submitted and in order, all the ‘i’s dotted and the ‘t’s crossed Brock suffered through an awkward handshake and legged it out of the building. A deep breath of muggy air helped soothe his nerves and he practically ran to his car. 

It was the most uncomfortable moment he’d ever suffered through and he was glad he’d never have to do it again. 

** ** ** **

“My friend who bartends said supposedly they make a killer white russian,” Bucky said as they walked towards the newly opened bar. “Steve says they make a good peachtini but I know that’s not your speed.” 

“I wouldn’t think it would be his hand.” 

Both men worked out his gym and had since the opening. They spent so much time there that a friendship blossomed naturally. They weren’t a partying couple, Steve an artist and Bucky ran a road construction team. The bar was packed as expected, all bars were always busy on their second day open. Steve had gone in early to grab seats for them. Brock slipped between bodies heading towards the end of the bar where Steve was waving. 

As he got closer his stomach dropped down to his toes. 

Sitting beside Steve, saving stools of his own, was ‘I’m Jack’. He was smiling, and it was a nice smile, but it vanished the second that he caught sight of Brock. He’d just barely gotten over the incident and now… Now he was feeling Jack’s lips ghosting over his skin as he lapped up the thin line of salt before he took the shot sitting in Brock's mouth. Brock was frozen in place trying to understand how and why this kept happening. There were almost 4 million people in this city and this one man kept turning up like a bad, good looking penny. His green eyes were even wider than they had his workplace, clearly trying to understand why and how this was happening. Brock couldn’t begin to understand the statistical possibility of it but Jack probably knew, he was good at that number shit. At least Brock thought he was considering his profession. 

“Brock? Are you okay?” Bucky gave him a gentle nudge. “Do you know that guy?”

“No.” Brock said immediately and Jack’s shock dropped a bit into something almost...wounded. “I mean… Jack, can we have a word?” 

“Sure.” 

Maybe if they addressed the elephant between them the universe would stop pushing them together. “Steve can you hold his seats?” 

“Sure,” the blond looked a little worried. “Are you sure you’re alright?” 

Brock mustered his most convincing smile and hurried outside. It was a hot night, the air heavy around them even without the added tension. “I don’t understand why this keeps happening.” Jack rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry.” 

“Unless you’re stalking me you don’t gotta be sorry. Listen, that night was…” 

“It wasn’t how I usually act. I… I wanted to blow off steam and things got a little out of hand. I hope I didn’t make you too uncomfortable.” 

Hazily Brock remembered Jack suggesting the idea but he also remembered how eagerly he accepted. “If I didn’t want to do it, I wouldn’t.” Brock tried to break the tension with a, “I’ve never had someone do a body shot off me but I think you did a pretty good job.” 

Jack showed a hint of a smile and Brock could feel the heaviness abating a bit. “Thanks. I just… God, what are the chances that we both run into each other twice now?”

“Maybe the higher beings, should they exist, are trying to tell us something.” Brock meant it as a joke. Well, mostly. If Jack didn’t respond favorably it was definitely a joke.

“Then I guess I better take you on a proper date,” Jack said with a small laugh that was too nervous to have him joking. 

“I think I’d like that.” 

“Could I buy you a drink and some bar food? Hopefully it’s decent.” 

“As long as you’re not expecting body shots tonight, I think that sounds like a good plan.” 

Jack laughed. It was rich and Brock liked the sound of it. “No tequila for sure,” Jack said as they worked their way through the sea of bodies. 

“I hear they make a mean peachtini,” Brock teased. 

“I’m more of a bourbon or whiskey man,” Jack said and fuck, if that didn’t make him hotter. 

At the bar a woman and a man had appeared where Jack had been. “Hey!” the blond guy said. “I was wondering where you went.” 

“I stepped out for a moment.” 

Steve caught Brock’s arm, blue eyes concerned. Steve had every right to be worried, Brock seemed to attract assholes. “He’s a good guy,” Brock said quietly. “I think.” 

Steve looked warily at Jack who was accepting a hug from the red haired woman. “Look,” Brock nodded at the drink in front of her and looked at Bucky. “White russian.” 

Bucky perked up in interest, peering down the bar. The woman looked right back, stone faced a bit defensive the way women had to be in a city like LA. “Is it any good?” Bucky called.

She blinked and picked up her drink. She took a drink, looked thoughtful. “Not the best I’ve had but it’ll do.” 

Bucky nodded, thanked her and looked a bit disappointed. Steve gave his arm a comforting squeeze. 

Brock and Jack sat side by side at the bar and waited for the bartender to come get their drink orders. She looked slammed so Brock knew it would be a minute. So they made the best of their time together. They had a good foundation of information, no conversation about what they did for work necessary. Brock asked how long he’d been an accountant and if he liked his job. Jack replied that very few people liked to be an accountant but that he liked numbers. Brock told him he’d had his gym for six years now and that he met a lot of good people through his members. Jack said that he was a substitute math teacher outside of tax season because he couldn’t stand to be bored. Brock admitted to ‘having’ a cat. It was stray, he stressed, that somehow got into his place and was too fat now to fit back out the little panel window he’d gotten in through. So, grudgingly, Brock let it stay. 

Jack said he had a border collie named Tess who he considered to be his best friend (the blond man, Clint, was affronted about that and said he’d never forgive him. He was consoled by the woman, Natasha, though she shot a filthy look at Jack that he laughed off). When the bartender got to them Jack ordered two fingers of whiskey and Brock asked for Bud Lite. Jack got them fried pickles to split. They were subpar, like most bar food, but Brock didn’t really care. Jack’s company made up for it. 

“You know, I never expected this to go so well,” Brock admitted as they stepped out of the bar. The sun had gone down but the nightlife still buzzed around them. “I thought it’d be boring considering how we met but… I had a good time.” 

Steve had left with Bucky after Brock assured him that he was okay. Jack smiled. “I did too. And yeah, it was...quite a meeting.” 

“You can say that again.” 

They stood there quietly for a moment and Brock knew that the chances of Jack kissing him on his own was low so he stood on the balls of his feet so he could reach his lips properly and kissed him briefly. Jack looked startled but not bothered so Brock had a feeling he’d made a good mood. 

“Can I see you again?” Jack asked. 

“If I didn’t want to see you again I wouldn’t have kissed you.” 

“Oh,” Jack laughed. “Yeah that’s a good point. Maybe we can go to the dog park together and you can meet Tessa? And I’ll cook something afterwards.” 

“Sure,” Brock agreed. “I’d like that. Can I have your number?”

“Oh, god yes. Sorry… I’m not usually so… Well, like this. I promise.” 

Brock smiled and they exchanged numbers before parting. As Brock hailed a cab, he smiled to himself. 

He felt good about his future with Jack. It’d been a long time since he felt this way. They’d had a hell of a meeting but he wouldn’t change a thing because it led him to Jack. That made all the mortification in the world worth it.


End file.
